Recently in MONEY MATTERS Category

When you read up on it on line and in magazines they give you convenient charts of when everything is going on sale but then when you go off to the stores when these list suggest you're not finding the deals that are suppose to be there.

Most of the time we loose things because some one walks off with your hammer because it looks just like theirs or you ask one of the family members to pack up from the family reunion and they take your cousins beat up cooler instead of yours and you don't notice until it is too late.

Marking our things makes sure that when you lend out a book or a CD you have a greater chance of getting it back instead of it disappearing into someone else's house hold and then ending up in their garage sale next spring.

If you are in your own home you might have the answer around you. While some of these suggestions are simple and will take up almost no time others you will have to put some effort into.

Will they make you rich? No, but they can bring in some extra cash that can make a huge difference to you if you are in a tight spot or are saving up for something special. Make sure that you follow all local laws when pursuing any of these ideas.

Mentally I look at the pictures and do the math in my head, even their budget gardens cost thousands. 

Unless you are living in a tropical or semi tropical area, plants can be very pricey and so are decorative containers, store bought compost, garden soil, retaining walls, stone pathways, gazebos, and garden ornaments.

It is a romantic notion to think that you can have a lovely garden without spending money on it and  that nature will take care of itself. Like everything else in life if you want something to look nice you have to put  time, effort and some cash into it. You can have a gorgeous garden, but not over night. There are things that you can scrimp on and things that you can save on and things you need to spend money on. You need to know the difference to get the best from your garden with the least cost.

Some good stuff and some not so good stuff and some stuff that you need to get rid of. But do you have any idea of exactly how much stuff you own?

 It has been estimated that the average North American household has over 10,000 items in it.... and may be more. (While that number might overwhelm you remember that they would be counting every spoon in your cutlery drawer, every photo in your photo albums and every Lego brick your child owns).
 
It is a vital to have a home inventory on many levels no matter what you financial situation is or how much you own. It is imperative to know what you own for insurance purposes, in case you need to move and for personal reasons. A household inventory will  give you a very clear picture of what you have spent your money on in the past, what you value and what you can get rid of. It can also make you face any uncomfortable buying habits you continue to make (does anyone really need 62 pairs of socks?)

Doesn't matter is you call it a garage sale, yard sale or rummage sale, what it can add up for you is some amazing deals. 

But while you might find some really cool stuff you might be passing by some of the best bargains there are and not even realizing it. Here's our list of the ten best buys at garage sales.